Stormers take win over CA Brumbies

The CA Brumbies have fallen 20-10 to an in-form Stormers side in their Investec Super 14 Week 12 match at Newlands Stadium, Cape Town tonight.

In a horror first half, the Stormers raced to a 20-0 half-time lead before the CA Brumbies putting on 10 unanswered second-half points in the two-tries-apiece result.

CA Brumbies Head Coach Laurie Fisher said despite loss, he expects his side to finish the season on a strong note.

“This is a side with a lot of pride and a lot of courage and I think that was demonstrated tonight,” he said. “To go down 20 points in 14 minutes, it would be very easy – away from home – to say ‘our season’s gone’ and put our cue in the rack. We fought courageously and I’m expecting no less next week at Loftus [against the Bulls] and again no less effort the following week at Subiaco [against the Western Force].

“If we can just smarten up areas of our game, look at opportunities that may be available against the Bulls, I expect us to dust ourselves off and front up for a game of rugby next Friday night.”

Having withstood a CA Brumbies’ raid early in the match, the Stormers converted their first venture into the ACT side’s quarter when Gcobani Bobo found space and linked with centre partner Jean de Villiers to score in the 12th minute. The Western Province captain’s try sparked a 14-minute scoring blitz for the Stormers that netted two conversions and two penalty goals through flyhalf Peter Grant, and a penalty try when referee Steve Walsh judged CA Brumbies flyhalf Christian Lealiifano to have interfered with Bobo in support of a de Villiers break. The indiscretion earned the 20 year old a yellow card and a 10-minute spell on the sideline.

Down 20-0 at the beginning the second term, it was the CA Brumbies who struck first when inside centre Tyrone Smith brushed past three Stormers defenders before offloading to winger Adam Ashley-Cooper to slide over in the 55th minute.

With a potential comeback imminent, the CA Brumbies rallied, denying the Stormers two likely tries through outstanding scrambling defence. However, a similarly resolute defensive line at the opposite end of the field continually thwarted any attacking raids by the Canberra-based side.

Having cleared their bench in the final seven minutes, the CA Brumbies were forced to finish the match with 14 men when captain Stirling Mortlock was forced to leave the field with cramping.

The visitors finished the match on a high when replacement lock Peter Kimlin took an aerial route to the try line when he dived over the top of the ruck to score his maiden Investec Super 14 try with one minute remaining.

The CA Brumbies will travel to Pretoria to take on the Bulls at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Friday, 9 May.